Medical offsite placements for graduate students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) are increasingly difficult for speech-language pathology (SLP) programs to attain. Some suggest that may be, in part, due to the perception of student ambiguity, clinical skill deficits, and poor overall self-efficacy (Brown, 2007). This leads to difficulty for universities, which are required to provide diverse clinical placements prior to graduation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of structured training on the self-efficacy of graduate students in medical settings, in order to determine if training would have a significant effect on selfefficacy. Most empirical research supports a relationship between self-efficacy and performance. Although much remains to be learned about self-efficacy, evidence now available in healthcare sciences suggests that it is possible to teach strategies to improve self-efficacious behavior (Bobo et al, 2012). Stress was also rated as a component of self-efficacy. This study used a single subject (small n) comparison design with A, B, and C phases. After baseline, the primary intervention phase (training) was measured, then the secondary intervention phase (medical offsite) to see the effects on self-reported efficacy ratings of students. Five of six participants in this investigation demonstrated significant improvement in self-efficacy levels after the provision of a structured training program. Pre-placement self-efficacy was increased, as well maintenance or further improvement during offsite placements. The potential implications of this type of structured training could theoretically change the focus of university courses in clinical methodology and theory, or warrant preplacement workshops to achieve the desired improvement.
